


The Queen Below

by whintersoldiers



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family Issues, Halloween Challenge, Persephone!Reader, Retelling, hades!bucky, no non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 16:07:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12585592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whintersoldiers/pseuds/whintersoldiers
Summary: James makes flowers bloom in places of your body that have rotted and rusted. He says you taste of golden nectar and ambrosia. He touches you where you’re most ruined; all because you do the same for him.





	The Queen Below

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: “This is a world filled to the brim with vile creatures and vicious darkness. And those monsters spun into tales told around raging fires to instill a deep fear in the hearts of children are real.”
> 
> **TQB Playlist:**  [SANTA FE](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DzXWNYMtBcu8&t=MjlhNjVmNTc5Zjc3MzBjMTYxY2JlZjgxNzQ5MzEzNzc5ZDhlNWRhZSxCOG5rb3hnZA%3D%3D&b=t%3ApCA0l4XkydLrEVNrZmLCag&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwhintersoldiers.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166965819021%2Fthe-queen-below-14&m=1) - Andrew Belle / [ARSONIST’S LULLABY](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXoQvbDROucQ&t=MGRmZjhjYzQ2MTk4NWVlNmNlMGFmNzMyYTBmODhkNzI0NWUwZThkMixCOG5rb3hnZA%3D%3D&b=t%3ApCA0l4XkydLrEVNrZmLCag&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwhintersoldiers.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166965819021%2Fthe-queen-below-14&m=1) - Hozier /[ A LITTLE DEATH](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbRfMwoIizTQ&t=NzA2NDYxMmJjN2NiM2IzYjlmMTEyYjc0ZDk2NDNmM2Y5Mzk1NjI0YSxCOG5rb3hnZA%3D%3D&b=t%3ApCA0l4XkydLrEVNrZmLCag&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwhintersoldiers.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166965819021%2Fthe-queen-below-14&m=1) - The Neighborhood / [L$D](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJ_5XYkZFbec&t=OGQyZjk3NjgwNjY1Y2NkYmIyNjI1Y2VlMzk1OTY3N2JiYzViNGM2NixCOG5rb3hnZA%3D%3D&b=t%3ApCA0l4XkydLrEVNrZmLCag&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwhintersoldiers.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166965819021%2Fthe-queen-below-14&m=1) - A$AP Rocky / [GETTIN’ OLD](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6hP6VcpJXaU&t=ZTAzYWVjYmMzM2MyYjYyYWY5NjllNzI3YTJlNDJjMTBhZTY0MGU2ZCxCOG5rb3hnZA%3D%3D&b=t%3ApCA0l4XkydLrEVNrZmLCag&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwhintersoldiers.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166965819021%2Fthe-queen-below-14&m=1) - 6LACK / [SHOW ME](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSDugIEoFU9M&t=ZWNmMjg5ZmNlMWYxZDM3MGZjMzhiY2IyYzdmZTI5Mzk0YzFhMWI2MixCOG5rb3hnZA%3D%3D&b=t%3ApCA0l4XkydLrEVNrZmLCag&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwhintersoldiers.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166965819021%2Fthe-queen-below-14&m=1) - Alina Baraz / [LOVEEEEEEE SONG](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDGXsfHr84ok&t=NTYxYmQ3Mjk0MzQyZTI1Yzk3YzhkMWVjYTAxZDJiZDA1MjMyNGQ5NSxCOG5rb3hnZA%3D%3D&b=t%3ApCA0l4XkydLrEVNrZmLCag&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwhintersoldiers.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166965819021%2Fthe-queen-below-14&m=1) - Rihanna ft. Future / [GET YOU](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsweE862aOGc&t=M2I5MmQ2OTdlNTRiMjhlMDU5NGVlYjY2YzBiYzE3ZGI5ZWUyYzgwNixCOG5rb3hnZA%3D%3D&b=t%3ApCA0l4XkydLrEVNrZmLCag&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwhintersoldiers.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166965819021%2Fthe-queen-below-14&m=1) - Daniel Ceaser ft. Kali Uchis  ****

 

 

> **THE MYTH**

_It was blackened like death had sung her haunting song upon the bloodstained petals, an eerie crimson fighting for prestige against the overpowering onyx onslaught. Wilted and worn, it heaved a final gasp for life that filled the small girl’s nostrils with the pungent smell of rotted earth beneath the too-sweet botanic mask._

_“Father,” She called, a small innocent lilt upon her lips. She stared inquisitively down at the flower she had plucked. “Why is it that we never see flowers during wintertime?” She had an inexplicable urge to bury the plant like what was often done for her family members who passed. She took another deep whiff of the floral essence._

_Her father turned to her for a fraction of a second, returning to his work with an newly-annoyed expression and a weary huff. The tendrils of hair on his scalp seemed to grow greyer; the creases on his face deeper._

_“Persephone emerges from the underworld every spring and blooms flowers across the earth until the Autumn air demands her return. When Hades keeps her hostage in his clutches, Demeter yearns for her daughter terribly and refuses our plants fruit.” He explained as he moved, keeping his hands occupied and eyes not meeting the gaze of his daughter. “Back to work now.”_

_She stroked the largest petal of the flower– imagined the floret enshrined in her heart, and entombed by the clawed grasp of her ribs. She laid it on the floor, and stared out into the rising sun._

_She made a promise to return for it at nightfall._

* * *

 

 

> **THE TRUTH**

Your mother watched wordlessly, footsteps hushed and movements slow as not to disturb you in your rapture. You were sitting with your face planted on your palm, a quiet appreciation upon your eyes as you watched a sunflower sway in the wind, standing tall and proud despite being the unorthodox flower facing from it’s source of life. You knew it would die soon, but you could not help but appreciate it’s individuality.

Death never scared you— you were immortal, after all.

“Smile, Kore.” Your mother practically commanded, her tone carrying a faux-maternal quality you had come to hate over the millennia. “That damned expression makes you look childish and ghastly.”

You said nothing, simply flitting your eyes down to the dark soil beneath you.

“Ah, but then who would appreciate the beauty of it being graced upon them?” You inquired, sarcasm coloring your voice. You look back up to her, challenge in your eyes.  _Certainly not you, mother._ She only wanted more flowers.

For when you smiled, it radiated to the ends of the earth and made a flower bloom in even the most barren of lands.

Her normally hazel eyes glowed like a chemical concoction, flaming to life and threatening to burst forth from her irises. Sparks of orange stuttered throughout the rings of gold; something that, once, used to make your skin shake.

“You  _will_ take care to watch your tongue with me. I did not birth an insolent wench.” Your posture did not falter, your silken gown the only thing wavering on your body. “Take it out on the flowers if you must. Destruction is, after all, the only thing you can do without mistake.”

You bit your tongue so hard you thought it might bleed, watching silently as Demeter disappeared in a flurry of grains and herbs, disappearing into the crisp air. For the first time that day, you could let yourself breathe.

Demeter had given you life, aided you in giving you your abilities, made you immortal. And, yet, you could not hold even an ounce of love for her in your heart. There was a time, a time before; a time when you had been blind. When you believed your mother loved you, when you grew flowers as far as the Circassian coast on a moderate day. Flurries of irises and peonies and hyacinths in every direction, anything your little hands could conjure up; littering the earth and filling it with it’s sweet, cleansing scent.

A twisted part of your old soul missed those times of innocent ignorance, but a bigger part of you knew you were better off. You didn’t know it then, but you were trapped. Your mother’s only puppet, born and made to dance to her every whim with silence and a smile, all while enduring her vicious words and toxic actions. As her abhorrence towards you grew, the people of Olympus and Greece seemed to have an equal reaction. They have no care nor any use for the Goddess of the Flowers.

These days, you bloomed only when someone prayed for it, only when someone planted. But, hardly anyone planted flowers anymore.

And, these days, your flowers were dark. Dull. Muted yellows and rusted reds.

You stood, walking among one of the few fields you had decided to bless with your presence. The sunflowers bent in worship as you treaded, petals shaking in excitement. You continued moving, out of the sunflower field and into the nearby woods, walking until your feet ached. And then you kept walking.

Nightfall arrived by the time you had reached the clearing at the end of the forest, the darkness beckoning with it’s howling winds and noises of the nightlife. Your dress provided you no warmth, the flowers on the [bodice](http://runwayandbeauty.tumblr.com/post/148596395854/paolo-sebastian-haute-couture-fallwinter-2016-17) thriving and multiplying to cover your chest and preserve the heat of your body.

That was when the pieces of gravel at your feet began to move. One by one, each chunk of earth and layer of rock and sediment almost gave out, the tremors multiplying by the second. The quaking grew, until your legs were no longer strong enough to stand on their own. You held onto a tree, clutching at the bark to ground yourself when you felt something warm at your back. An unfamiliar fear gripped at your heart as you turned.

To your surprise, no one was there. You could have sworn there was a body there, surrounding you and giving to respite from the unforgiving night air, but when you turned all you saw was a descending opening in the ground.

Something orange glowed from it’s corners, but this was unlike anything you had ever seen. Nothing like the scorching flames that grew in your mother’s eyes at your slightest defiance, but something more tranquil, something comforting. It reminded you of the hot cider you used to drink in bucketfuls when you were a child.

You didn’t once look back as you entered.

For a moment, all you saw was a clear, wide, opening. The field you stood on was made of onyx stone, pieces jagged but not quite sharp. The field leveled off into a pointed end, and peeking out from the sides was the orange glow you had seen from up above. Perched on top of a grand tower of stones, each more glittering and luxurious than the last, sat a throne facing away from you.

You had never visited the underworld, nor had you even met it’s infamous ruler, but you were not so daft as to imagine this realm to be anything but.

As you approached the throne, the air grew sharper. I was not an entirely unpleasant sensation, but one that made you see clearer and heightened your senses, the change making your head spin for a second. 

“I have heard the stories, you know,” You called up at the throne. You knew not to expect an answer. “The cold, heartless Hades sitting atop his diamond throne and wreaking havoc upon mortal souls.” He didn’t turn to look at you.

“Is that all you have heard?” You drew in a sharp breath at his words.

His  _voice._

It quite literally made the dead rise; something low and timbered and  _penetrating_  that set fire to your bones. Never in your life, not even in the presence of the 12 Olympians, had your ears been graced by a voice such as his. It was much more than the quality to a voice; it was an experience. You already began to imagine the things you could say to him, if only to hear the sonorous timbre again.

“My Lord, I have heard much worse. Just thought it best to spare your delicate heart.” You disclosed, lips curling up slightly. Your comment earned a short, breathy chuckle from him, and you saw his dark hair sway as he shook his head in disbelief. The glittering crown atop his head– dark, regal, and  _beautiful_ – did not move; speckles of reds and blacks on the steel-colored crest gleaming in the dark.

“I’m afraid the underworld does not have a reputation for its delicateness. This is a world filled to the brim with vile creatures and vicious darkness. And those monsters? Spun into tales, and told around raging fires to instill a deep fear into the hearts of children? They are indeed real. Are you sure Demeter would approve of your presence in a palace such as mine, young Kore?” He asked curiously, as if he himself had not opened the door.

“Demeter does not own me.” You hissed without hesitation, a new frostiness in your disposition that Hades could discern without looking at you. You grew closer to the tall throne yet, voice softening into warm honey. “Besides, your invitation was just too tempting,” He seemed to consider this, nodding, before finally twisting his throne and facing you. Your eyelashes fluttered in surprise when you saw him.

Neatly trimmed, his dark hair sat beautifully coiffed on his head, nested for his crown. Pale eyes held you in place, outlined by long, inky eyelashes and thick eyebrows. The hair on his face wasn’t too long, surrounding the blood-red lips one would never have thought to expect. The red jewels and his eyes sparkled in tandem as he turned his face, lighting up and darkening with each slight movement.

The God of Death was inexplicably captivating.

“Not what you were expecting, Princess?” He asked, something akin to amusement on his [face](http://78.media.tumblr.com/5a4c1b37d2f60c3fd639705e0e7974c6/tumblr_oof30aNaOY1ugigzio1_500.png).

“I do not know what I was expecting.” You answered truthfully. “Death, probably. Perhaps some blood. _Certainly_  a few howls of pain from the hell behind you.” The casual tone made Hades smile.

“I can assure you there is plenty of what you speak of,” He replied. “Although there are some things you may not expect as well.”

“Like?”

“Like companions.” He answered simply, before whistling. Suddenly, from behind the tower of stones, came three dogs, no taller than your knees, bounding towards you with excited leaps and panting tongues. It took you a moment too long to realize, after you’d been reduced to your knees by the endearing animals, that it was  _one_  dog. With three heads.

“Behave!” Hades called worriedly when one of the heads began to nip at the flowers on your dress. It’s ears flopped down in embarrassment, eyes big as it nosed at the flowers in apology. You laughed in disbelief.  _This_ was Cerberus? The blood-curdling guardian of the underworld?

“Quite the fearsome gatekeeper you have here,” You told Hades, cooing quietly to the dog and trying to pet them all equally. He said nothing, watching you indulge the dog in belly rubs with an air of amusement.

Little did either of you know, one of your flowers had grown. When you had smiled, a single blood-red orchid had made a home around the barren land of his heart.

“To be truthful, sire, I do have a question for you,” You finally announced, standing up and earning a few whines from the less-than-pleased trio at your feet. With another whistle from his owner, Cerberus ran back to where he had came from. “What does the Lord of the Underworld want with me? Why did he open his door to the girl that makes flowers?” Your question rendered him silent for a moment, eyes widening in surprise. But, he managed to keep his reaction well-masked.

“I have heard stories about you too,” He revealed at last. “Miles of trees, flowers, and  _life_ as far as the eyes can see. I don’t… go above often, but I did want to…” He clears his throat. “See.”

“See?” You asked, something like disappointment in your voice.

“Quite right, your highness.” The smirk on his face made your breath catch against the fissure of your throat; there was something thrilling about the ruler of the dead regarding you as royalty. “You see, there is little place for beauty here.”

_But, that was before you entered._

He bit his tongue from continuing on.

You did not tell him the last time you had grown so many flowers had been centuries ago. Not in a long time had you used your powers to such extent, growing until your eyes could see nothing but the flourishes of flowers every which way.

You straightened your posture, and took a knee, touching your fingertips to the ground. From the sparkling gems around your fingers grew flower buds, curved and sleek, the growth accelerated as they opened fully. The abundance of them reached his throne, and painted the field before you in seconds.

They bloomed despite the darkness, and they were not alone.

You heard his breath shake, eyes wide as he stared down at the flowers before flicking his gaze back up to you in wonder. You smiled, facing the ground but staring up at him.

In a place like this, you would have thought your powers would be eclipsed. Instead, it was the exact opposite. You felt stronger than you had in millennia, the powers flowing like electricity at your fingertips as you stood once again. The blood in your fingers rushed all at once.

“I felt your distress,” He found himself blurting. Your jerked your head towards him, not sure you’d heard him right. He cringed discreetly at himself, and cleared his throat. “What I mean is, sometimes I can sense emotions when someone walks up above and there was something… unusual about your disposition.”

“And how would you know when my disposition is usual, My Lord?” You asked, arms crossed. You knew you had him then. He floundered for a moment, much to your amusement. Surely, no one else had ever made the ruler of underworld flounder in the way you had before?

“I- You may… what I mean to say is: James works just as well as Hades. I am sure we can skip the formalities.” He informed you, not answering your question. A smile tugged at your lips at his speech.

“Okay, My-” You caught yourself. “ _James,_  how would you know when I am myself?” He grew silent again, watching you with some form of awe. You had not fathomed the gravity of your words, not understanding what had rendered him so speechless. James, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening.

_My James._

Suddenly, in the midst of death and darkness and most heinous creatures in all of Olympia, he knew what he wanted.  

“You are yourself right now,” He finally uttered, and it was not an answer **–**  not really.

“My apologies, but am I missing something here?” You inquired, an eyebrow cocked. His eyes widened, their growth seeming to be in direct proportion to the grin on your face. There was something delightful in the redness at the tips of his ears and the embarrassed smile at his lips. You both smiled at each other for a little while longer, stealing and avoiding glances. That was when you took a deep breath.

“I cannot stay.”

“I know.”

He seemed to think while he looked at you. Then, he lowered his throne from the tower, and stepped off. Something seemed to be twisting and curling in the air above his left hand as he walked towards you. Stopping at your feet, he held his palm open, and there sat a cuff. Two dainty loops made of small crystals spiraled into curled leaves with pieces of painite ingrained into the silver jewelry.

“Thank you.” He says, clearing his throat. “For the flowers.” You smile again at this, and the flowers at James’ feet doubled, growing on top of one another. You wordlessly held out your arm.

He ducked his head and blushed when he realized you were  _waiting_  for him to adorn you with it. He took the cuff, and slid it with his fingers up, up, up, until it sat comfortably at your bicep. It glittered beautifully as he twisted and settled it, only satisfied when the leaves faced him.

He slid his fingers back down your arm, calloused but warm fingertips barely grazing your skin, the contact making a foreign rush surge up your spine. He lingered his touch at the inside of your wrist for a moment, eyes slipping shut as the blood ticked against his fingertips.

He sighed and retreated his touch entirely, when you felt a cold air at your back. You turned to see that the ground had elevated back up into Earth, the full moon illuminating some of the dark sky around it. The reality of it made you feel something you couldn’t describe. You frowned, turning back to James to say goodbye.

You were surprised to see his back to you, a few feet away. You didn’t tell him to face you, instead walking back over to him and cradling one side of his head with your hand as you whispered into the other.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, James. I hope you like the flowers.” You giggled, but by the time he turned, you were gone.

He touched the tip of his ear where your fingers had been, surprised to find something tucked between his head and the back of his hair.

A tiny floret, incandescent against his palm, glowing sanguinely scarlet.


End file.
